Teach yourself Gaelic

Published on Saturday 9 February 2008 19:11

Breac: speckled, spotted

Pronounced "breck", this word can refer to anything which is spotted or speckled, especially when describing animals or landscapes. It is also the Gaelic word for trout, because of the pattern on a trout's skin. In the past, some linguists would use the phrase Breac Gidhealtachd to refer to areas on the edge of the Gaelic-speaking areas, especially on the Scottish mainland, where the language was only spoken by a significant minority of locals. Breacan (pronounced breck-kan) is the Gaelic word for tartan, although some use tartan, which looks the same as in English but is actually pronounced tarst-tan, as an alternative.